


My Sistership

by Macavity116



Series: Stormbreaker Story [3]
Category: Homeworld, Stellaris (Video Game)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Space Battles, Space monster, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-09-07 08:40:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20306623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macavity116/pseuds/Macavity116
Summary: A century after the events of Faith in Chaos, two Partogans rediscover a powerful technology that could change the course of the Second Hyperspace War, putting themselves on a collision course with disaster.





	1. Chapter 1

_February 18, 2028_

_Shipyard Nynrah, Beznar Star System, Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth_

“Containment unit unlocked, all power signatures in the green.”

“System is pressuring. Atmosphere is stable on both sides.”

“Subject has entered the chamber.”

“Tracking progress.”

“Progress good. Subject integration underway. Standby for updates.”

Nearly fifteen thousand people from across six different species all held their collective breath. This would be the moment of truth. All across the drydock, spectators and workers alike tentatively held their breath, putting all of their hopes and prayers into the next few minutes.

Contained within the drydock itself was the mighty warship _Mahuika_. In the thirteen years that had passed since the beginning of the Second Hyperspace War, this ship had fought many battles and now had a battered and beaten look to her. The retrofits the ship was receiving were certainly important, but there was one upgrade taking place deep within the vessel that had the potential to make the _Mahuika_ into the most important ship in the Galaxy.

On the flagship’s bridge, it was impossible to take two steps without walking into someone. Assurians, Partogans, Levakians, reptilian Kelt, avian Vanians and Amadii, and Micore droids all milled about together, chatting with each other excitedly. Despite the fact that seven different species were represented here today, they all wore the same military uniform: one that bore the green and purple colors of the Triple Alliance. Originally a military force that represented the united and combined firepower of the Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth, the United States of Assuria, and the Micore Empire; the Triple Alliance had grown to incorporate many smaller nations that had been left by the wayside when the Galactic Council collapsed several years ago. It was now the second-largest military alliance in existence, rivalled only by the Hiigaran-led Galactic Alliance, which operated on the other side of the Galaxy.

At the dais in the center of the _Mahuika’s_ bridge, a Partogan man with a powerful athletic body, intense purple eyes, and sleek silver hair waved his hand for attention, and the bridge fell silent. The man spoke up loudly and started the proceedings.

“I want to thank you all for attending this… well, it’s not really a ceremony, is it?” he joked. “For those of you who don’t know, I am Commander Manako Ranginui of the Commonwealth Green Guard. And I want to thank you all for coming to witness the completion of a project that my sister and I have spent the past six years of our lives working on.”

Behind him, the viewscreen lit up to reveal an overhead shot of a technologically sophisticated supercomputer core located somewhere deep inside the _Mahuika._ Onscreen, a group of scientists were hard at work on the most unusual thing one would ever expect to see in a supercomputer core: _A medical bed._

And there was someone on it.

Manako held up a little remote control and clicked it.

“Hello sister!” Manako said loudly. “Can you hear us? You’ve got an audience for your big achievement!”

Onscreen, the scientists parted and allowed the camera to get a good view of the partially-naked Partogan female who was lying on the medical bed. Manako’s twin sister, Makara Ranginui, waved up at the camera. As she did so, nearly a hundred electrical cables strewn about the floor jostled and jumped in rhythm with her movements. Makara had the same face as her twin: angular with high cheekbones and full of pride. Makara would have had a head full of beautiful silver hair, but for this procedure, she had been shaved bald. Now some fifty electrical cables and wires of varying size and shape were now directly attached to the top, sides, and back of her head. In fact, Makara’s whole body was wired into the computer core. Most of the scientists in the room were simply here to make sure the cables didn’t get tangled or broken during Makara’s final move to the Nerve Center.

“Bro, you know I’m camera-shy!” Makara teased. “And I’ve been dying to get this done for years. Can’t we just get this show on the road!?”

“This is your show, Maka.” Manako replied, calling his sister by her nickname. “Go at your pace.”

“Thanks bro! Love you!” Maka said. Then she went back to speaking with the scientists around her.

Meanwhile, Manako continued addressing the Triple Alliance officers on the bridge:

“Over a century ago, the Hiigaran neuroscientist Karan S’jet unlocked the technology to become Unbound. She was physically integrated into her Mothership as its living Central Processing Unit. She used her cybernetic implants and bio-circuitry to process Quadrillions of packets of information every second. She was Fleet Command, in every sense of the word, able to micromanage an entire armada of warships while simultaneously maintaining and operating the internal systems of her Mothership.

“For one hundred years, Karan was the only Organic CPU in the Galaxy. Today, that will end. Thanks to the combined efforts and research of my sister and myself, plus a little help from our new Hiigaran friends, the Triple Alliance now stands ready to commission its first Organic CPU. Doctor Tuterangi! What’s our status?”

One of the scientists working in the Supercomputer Core turned to face the camera and addressed the audience.

“Miss Ranginui has been sedated and moved into the Nerve Center. She’ll be integrated into the Supercomputer Core momentarily.”

“The Nerve Center…” Manako explained to the watching crowd. “Is a specialized chamber designed specifically for Maka to live and work in. I’ll confess that our Nerve Center is nowhere near as ostentatious as the one used by Karan S’jet, but it will serve the same purpose. My sister will enjoy the same level of sensory input and control over the _Mahuika _that S’jet did over her own Mothership.”

There was a little excited chatter about this. The military leadership of the Triple Alliance was starting to think about something very specific, and Manako had read their minds. He smiled as he explained to them:

“Once Maka is fully integrated into the _Mahuika’s _central computer, the flagship and all ships in her fleet will enjoy the benefits of being supported by the most powerful combat computer in the Galaxy! Triple Alliance reaction times, weapon precision, and logistic efficiency will improve tenfold, and I guarantee you all, the Beast will _never _know what hit it! And if she were awake right now, Maka would stake her life on this technology to back me up!”

The military leaders of the Triple Alliance started to applaud Manako’s little speech, but they were cut off by a sudden voice that came out of the intercom system above their heads:

“Nerve Center integration successful.”

Maka’s voice echoed throughout the entire flagship for just a moment before all of the lights and screens went out! For half a second, the _Mahuika_ was plunged into absolute darkness. Then all the lights came back on! Manako looked giddy as he turned slowly on the spot, watching as computer screens all over the bridge flickered to life. He was awaiting confirmation that his sister had successfully transitioned into her new role as an Organic Computer.

“Maka?” Manako breathed softly. “Is that you? How do you feel?”

“This is Triple Alliance Fleet Command.” Maka’s voice gently filled the ship. “Flagship status report: Command on-line. Engineering on-line. Resourcing systems fully operational. Navigation on-line. Weapons systems fully charged. Hyperspace Module on-line. Drives on-line. Standby to commence main engine test.”

The _Mahuika _suddenly lurched beneath everyone's feet. The helm control screen showed that the flagships’s engines had been throttled up to “ahead one-third.” In the ship’s Nerve Center, Maka sent a mental command to the engines, shutting them down.

“Engine test complete. All standard drives are operational. The Flagship is standing by.”

This time, applause and cheers threatened to deafen everybody on the bridge! Dozens of hands slapped Manako on the back and there was loud popping sound as somebody uncorked a bottle of Madu Cabolo. In this long, bloody war full of painful defeats, it was good to have a little win like this every once in a while, no matter how small it was.

As the visiting officers started to filter out at the end of the day, Manako collapsed into a chair on the far side of the bridge and let out a deep sigh. All around him, the _Mahuika_ let out many metallic groans and creeks as she settled into her scaffolding. It was almost as though the ship itself was taking a moment to relax as well.

_December 2, 2028_

_Nithascal Star System, Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth_

The moment of relaxation was short-lived. The Beast didn’t take any shore leave. As soon as military leadership was satisfied Maka had been fully integrated into the _Mahuika’s _systems, the Flagship of the Triple Alliance was pressed back into service. Somebody high up the chain of command had pulled a few strings somewhere, and Manako was allowed to stay aboard the ship on a permanent basis. Officially, he was a “Nerve Center Engineer.” In reality, he was just continuing the work he’d started with his sister. Every day it would be Manako’s duty to maintain and troubleshoot the advanced technology that allowed Maka to interface with the Supercomputer Core.

To an outsider, it looked like Manako was carrying out his duties in total silence and solitude. After all, his sister’s body was sealed away within a Stasis tube inside of the Nerve Center. While her mind was interfaced with the _Mahuika’s _Supercomputer Core, her body remained idle and unused. It would be reasonable for anyone to assume that Manako worked in silence because he had nobody to talk to. He was alone.

But Manako and Makara Ranginui were never alone. They always had each other.

At a very young age, the twins had discovered something wonderful. They could hear each other’s thoughts, experience sensations through one another, and share their minds with each other at will. As children, the Ranginui twins had done what any child would do with the power of telepathy: play pranks on their friends and get away with anything. Manako and Maka became something like neighborhood magicians, using their shared minds to astound and befuddle their peers, and a few adults as well.

Maka was an intensely curious girl. For her, every fourth or fifth sentence would begin with the word “Why” and her thirst for knowledge would sometimes get her into trouble. Luckily, Manako had fallen effortlessly into the role of overprotective brother. Manako could respond to his sister’s crying faster and more effectively than their own father. When the twins grew older their telepathic link, combined with Manako’s eagerness to protect and shield Maka, would often generate awkward and embarrassing situations, _especially_ when Maka started looking for a boyfriend.

But it was during their early teenage years when Manako and Makara’s abilities were finally noticed by someone important. Their Grandmother, the current Queen of the Commonwealth, told Maka and Manako that they were “Gifted” and offered to give the twins a tool that would make their telepathy much more powerful. By pure good (or bad) luck, Manako and Maka had been sedated and sent into brain surgery on the same day the Second Hyperspace War began. When the twins woke up, they found that the universe around them had changed radically: Manako and Maka now had Psionic Amplifiers implanted inside their bodies, and the entire Galaxy was at war.

For a few years, the twins had split up. Manako enlisted in the Commonwealth Navy. He fought on the front lines of the Second Hyperspace War and rose to the rank of Commander in very short time, thanks in part to his now Amplified psychokinetic powers. Maka, meanwhile, became obsessed with the very concept of the Gift. She trained to become a scientist and studied the brain, looking for a way to use her Gift to aid the war effort on a large scale. Eventually, while the Galaxy burned around her, Maka made a breakthrough.

Reaching out to her brother from hundreds of light-years away, Maka called Manako back to her and they set about on her grand project: Maka would make herself into an _Unbound_. The name belonged to people who used cybernetic implants and bio-circuitry to permanently integrate themselves into a starship, becoming one and the same with their vessels. Sadly, the Unbound were a very rare group of sentients. The enigmatic Bentusi were an entire species of Unbound beings, but they had gone extinct a couple decades ago. The Vaygr Warlord Makaan had used an ingenious integration system, but his technology was lost along with his own life at the Battle of Balcora. The Hiigaran leader Karan S’jet had abandoned her original integration system and was currently inhabiting the Progenitor Battleship Sajuuk. As a result, there were no modern integration systems Makara could base her own on.

With few examples to work from, Maka and Manako had to start from scratch, but after nearly six years of work, here they were… as successful as they could possibly be. For the Ranginui twins, it was the first time in years that either one of them entertained the thought that the war could be won. Maka was convinced that she could use her Gift to make herself into the most powerful Unbound ever. Against an enemy like the Beast, the risk of trying was insignificant next to the promise of victory.

On this morning, just like any other, Manako started the day by saying hello to his sister through one of the thousands of microphones and cameras positioned throughout the _Mahuika’s_ interior, then he moved up to the bridge and reported to Captain Enoka for his morning brief.

Captain Enoka had been fighting in the Second Hyperspace War since the day it had started. He had been one of the few people to escape from the Blorg Homeworld, the very first planet to fall to the Beast thirteen years ago. The man was haggard, worn, and appeared to have aged at least three decades over the last one. Hard to believe this battle-hardened commander was only five years older than Manako and Makara.

Of course, Captain Enoka had not told his life story to Manako. The male Ranginui twin had his own way of learning a person’s history:

Like most Gifted beings in the Galaxy (and there were shockingly few of them these days) Maka and Manako each had one special power that was unique to them and nobody else. While Maka’s power made it easier for her to talk with strange, foreign aliens, Manako’s unique power opened up an immense range of possibilities. Whenever Manako touched a living being, he could use a small fraction of his power to instantly learn all of the memories and experiences of that being. A simple handshake could teach Manako the entire life story of the individual, and he made use of this power whenever the opportunity arose. This way, Manako would always have the advantage in any conversation or activity with a person he’d touched. Manako made a point of shaking hands with Captain Enoka the first thing he did each morning, so that he would be alerted to any developments the Captain was keeping from his crew.

Today, before Captain Enoka had even begun to speak, Manako clasped the man’s hand in a firm but polite greeting and instantly learned that a civilian guest would be boarding the ship today, and that the Captain wasn’t too comfortable having her aboard.

“Commander Ranginui. Got a quick job for you.” Captain Enoka said as soon as Manako broke off their traditional morning handshake. “We have a visitor. Some woman from the Royal Science Academy just landed in the hangar bay about ten minutes ago. Admiralty says she’s here to study your sister and see how she holds up in combat. She’ll stay aboard for the duration of our tour along the Galactic Front Line. Go get her and drop her off in the Nerve Center, would you? Her name’s ‘Mira Mihaka.’ You can’t miss her. She’s only got one eye and she’s on the older side.”

Manako tried to hide the look of recognition on his face as he stepped off the bridge. He had heard that name many times before, but had never met the person it belonged to. He was intrigued.

The hangar bay was nearly thirty decks below the bridge, and elevators only went so far. Taking the last two decks by staircase and ladder, Manako was sweating under his uniform when he finally got to the hangar bay. Luckily, the woman he had been told to meet, this “Mira Mihaka,” was pretty easy to find. Against the muted colors of the _Mahuika_ crew, she stood out like a brightly-colored leaf on dark waters.

Mira was wearing a sleek Commonwealth Navy flightsuit and leaning on the nosecone of a Hapaka-Class space superiority fighter. The Hapaka were smaller, lighter, and faster cousins of the now defunct Vako-Class, which had flown primarily during the Levakian Uprising almost a century ago. Mira herself was only carrying a laptop computer. It had a custom-fitted handle that allowed her to carry it much like a briefcase. She also wore a dark green eyepatch over her right eye socket. It had a stylized version of the old Kingdom of Partoga flag on it: three dots surrounded by a pair of double crescents, a stylized map of the Trecta Star System.

Even though Mira and Manako had never met before today, they both gave one another looks of recognition. Manako raised his hand to shake Mira’s, but he was surprised when she ignored it and walked around him. Manako shrugged this off and followed her out of the hangar bay. He knew he’d get another chance to read her memories.

While they rode the elevator up to the Supercomputer Core, Manako tried once again to learn Mira’s history. He reached across her chest to push the elevator buttons, and when he withdrew, Manako tried to brush his hand against Mira’s exposed forearm, but she quickly dropped her arm to one side and turned her whole body, fiddling with her laptop and keeping her suspicious eye on Manako. The tension passed after a few moments. For the rest of the journey, the two of them played the same game that occurred whenever a member of the Ranginui family crossed paths with a Mihaka: They tried to figure out how they were related to one another.

Mira went first:

“So, my dad was Matiu Mihaka, his dad was Namuna Mihaka, and his dad was Kuhina Nui Rakato Mihaka! Pretty neat, huh?”

“Wow!" Manako answered, "So your great-grandfather was Queen Kendra’s second Kuhina Nui, huh? Alright, I can beat that: My father was Rapata Ranginui, and my mother was Ahorangi Mihaka.”

Mira furrowed her brow.

“Wait a second, you don’t mean-“

“I do. Ahorangi Mihaka, my mother, was the youngest child of _Queen Kendra the Great!_”

Mira clasped her hands together in excitement.

“That’s so cool!” Mira squealed. “So your grandmother’s husband Eteka was my grandfather’s brother, so that would make us…”

They both did the math in their heads.

“That makes us second cousins.” Manako answered. “I think.”

“Yeah, I think that’s it.” Mira affirmed. “Of course, we could probably just ask your sister to double-check our math when we meet her. Speaking of Makara…”

Here we go. Manako had seen this coming.

“Look,” he said. “You can ask all the questions you want, Mira. But I can’t do justice to Maka’s work. You’ve just gotta see it for yourself, you know?”

“I know the feeling.” Mira said. “That’s why I spent so much time at the Science Academy. The Universe is just full of incredible things that just have to be seen to be believed. Like the Dimensional Horror in the Kel-Azan Republic.”

“Or the Eye of Aarran.” Manako added.

“Don’t forget the subterranean civilization on Isomon-3.”

“What about that First Hyperspace War battlefield in the Koreth’s Rift Sector? You know, the one where the Hiigarans got their famous Siege Cannon?”

“Oh, I remember that. That thing is almost as dangerous as _the Paradox_.”

At Mira’s last word, the atmosphere in the elevator suddenly got awkward. Mira seemed to realize she’d touched one of Manako’s nerves and bit her lip anxiously.

“You’re uh…” Manako picked his words carefully. “You’re not one of those people who thinks the Paradox is still alive, are you?”

Mira looked around the elevator uncomfortably.

“And you’re not?” She replied cautiously. “We’ve all seen those videos, cousin. I can’t convince myself she’s really dead. How can you?”

“How can you convince yourself she’s still alive?” 

…

Maka’s chamber had to be kept as clean as possible to avoid contamination. A living CPU is useless if it’s sick, after all. Because Maka’s consciousness was currently dispersed throughout the ship’s Supercomputer banks, her body was completely unconscious and kept suspended in a Stasis pod. Mira ran her hands all over the unit, admiring the incredible technology that kept Maka’s body functioning while her mind was quite literally elsewhere. Manako just stood back and watched as Mira explored the room like a little kid, all the while making sure he didn’t obstruct any of the security cameras in the room. While Mira examined Maka’s integration system, Manako telepathically contacted his sister. She responded immediately:

_So is this Mira? The scientist who wants to see me in combat, right?_

_Yes she is. Don’t worry, sis. I won’t let her pull your pod apart._

_Very funny, bro. Have you read her memories yet?_

_She hasn’t given me the chance. I’ll let you know the minute I get in her head._

Finally, Mira said:

“The scientific reports don’t describe your work accurately, Manako. It’s almost like… like your sister is well and truly part of the ship.”

At once, Maka’s voice gently emitted from the intercom speaker, causing Mira to jump with surprise.

“Actually, Cousin Mira, it would be more accurate to say that ‘I am the ship now.’ The _Mahuika_ is just as much a part of me as I am it.”

Mira looked awestruck.

“Fascinating! Can you explain how that works?”

“Well, it’s kind of hard to explain.” Maka’s voice said. “The _Mahuika_ feels exactly like my body does… it feels like me, and I can feel and sense and perceive the outside world through it. Think of the Sensors Suite like the sensory cortex of my brain, the nuclear powerplant is my heart, and the whole ship chassis is kind of like my skeleton. I know it’s not a perfect translation, but what I’m trying to get at is that… This ship is my body now… _it’s me. I am the Mahuika._”

Mira finally found one of the security cameras and looked directly into it.

“So… am I making eye contact with you right now?”

“Yes… but it’s very off-putting. It feels like you’re standing close enough to kiss me.”

Mira folded her arms and appeared to be hit by a profound thought.

“So… if the _Mahu-_ I mean, if _you_ go into combat and get hit by weapons fire, would it feel like you’ve been, oh I dunno, shot or stabbed?”

“I haven’t seen combat yet.” Maka answered. “But rest assured, I’ve thrown up a large number of both physical and mental defenses against such a scenario. Pain and mental fatigue will not impede my ability to control this ship during battle. Besides, nobody’s warned you about how protective my brother is for me. He’s the most effective shield I’ll ever have.”

Mira turned around just in time to see Manako blushing a little. He recovered and said:

“Speaking of combat, Mira. You were warned we’re flying towards the Galactic Front Line, right? We’ll be fighting the Beast before too long.”

Mira folded her arms and gave Manako a determined look.

“Bring it on!”


	2. Chapter 2

_March 8, 2028_

_Jumia Star System, The Galactic Front Line, Blorg Commonality_

Manako wasn’t getting much sleep tonight. It wasn’t because of nerves, though. This wasn’t his first stint in the Galactic Front Line. Ever since the _Mahuika _and her escort fleet arrived at the front there had been a general atmosphere of nervous tension throughout the ship. Everybody was jumpy, on edge, waiting nervously for first contact with the Beast. Meanwhile, the _Mahuika _continued to soar through the stars, moving determinately towards her objective.

Amon Gate was an old Hyperspace Gate built by an extragalactic race called the Progenitors. They had conquered and ruled over the entire galaxy before abruptly vanishing about ten thousand years ago. While the Progenitors themselves were gone, their technology survived. Progenitor ruins scattered all over the Galaxy concealed massive troves of knowledge and tech that was now being dug up and reverse-engineered by both sides of this terrible war.

Manako shuddered at the memory of the last time his fleet had encountered a Beast-Infected Keeper. Fully automated and uncrewed, Progenitor Keepers by themselves were already a nightmare to deal with, but give them an organic brain and a direct connection to the Beast hive mind, and they become the terror of the stars. Three years ago, Manako and Maka been part of a Triple Alliance strike fleet that had been pinned down by a single infected Keeper. The fleet itself consisted of over three thousand warships. When the battle was over, only half-a-dozen frigates had survived by Hyperspacing to safety. The rest of the strike group was annihilated. Manako and Maka had both narrowly escaped death that day.

Luckily, the _Mahuika’s_ first combat mission would take her into a region of space not known for Progenitor relics. While the Blorg Commonality had been the first to fall to the Beast, their species was not out of the fight just yet. Several Blorg armadas had concentrated around the Amon Hyperspace Gate and the enclave were holding out heroically against the Beast siege. It was the _Mahuika’s_ mission to break that siege and lift the pressure on their allies.

_...Nope. This wasn't working. I'm still awake._

Reviewing old mission information wasn’t cutting it. No matter how much backstory and context he read through, Manako just wasn’t falling asleep. Reluctantly, he looked over at his alarm clock. He had been lying awake in his cot for nearly six hours. Frustrated, he reached out telepathically for the one person he knew he could talk to right now.

_Really, bro? I’m in the middle of some sensor calibrations._

_In other words, you’re looking at the pretty stars. I’ve been in your head all your life, Maka. I know when you’re bored._

_Never could hide it, could I?_

_Kinda helps that you’re within arm’s reach of me._

The Stasis tube containing the unconscious body of Manako’s twin sister was only a few Bios away from him. He had been keeping his bunk bed in the Supercomputer Core ever since joining the _Mahuika’s_ crew. While she tirelessly managed and maintained the _Mahuika_, Manako managed and maintained the many systems and subsystems that kept his sister alive. Manako’s overpowering urge to make sure his sister was safe was amplified by his Gift. If Maka felt even the slightest bit uncomfortable, he would know right away. Once in a while, he wondered if Maka thought he was pampering her. She almost always answered with a “yes.”

Maka’s body was motionless in the Stasis tube, but one of the security cameras in the corner slowly turned and refocused its lens on Manako while he sat upright and threw his blankets aside. Telepathically, he continued the conversation with Makara:

_I can’t sleep._

_That scientist Mira still bugging you?_

_Yup. She still won’t let me touch her._

_Wow, bro! Even in your head that sounds creepy._

_Shut up. You know what I mean._

Of course, Maka knew what her brother was upset about. Ever since coming aboard, Manako had been itching for a chance to quite literally “lay a finger” on Mira. That was all he needed to do to use his unique Psionic power and instantly learn all of Mira’s history and memories. It would make interacting with her a lot easier, since Manako would then hold all the cards.

But Mira wouldn’t let her guard down. Always on alert, she seemed to be actively avoiding physical contact with Manako; sidestepping him in the hallways, coldly refusing to return handshakes, and pulling away from even the lightest touch on the shoulder. When he was younger and still figuring out his powers, Manako had learned the hard way about how people reacted to unwelcome touching. But this was different. Mira wasn’t acting like someone who was trying to avoid unwanted contact... 

_Maka, I think she knows._

_How could she? Your special power isn’t as obvious as mine. _

_I don't know. What if she's Gifted, too? Maybe she can hear us-_

_Stop._

_No, seriously, Maka. What if Mira-_

_Manako! I said “STOP!” Listen! Do you hear that!?_

For a moment, Manako broke off his telepathic conversation and stood up. He paced around the Supercomputer Core slowly, trying to pick up an audible noise.

“I don’t hear anything.” Manako admitted aloud.

_No. Sound’s not coming from inside. It’s faint, hundreds of thousands of Kios away… It’s a distress call! Manako, I’m gonna forward this to the bridge! You should wake up the Captain!_

…

Manako got to the bridge at roughly the same time as Mira herself. She set up her laptop into a nearby sensors terminal and said:

“I picked up a lot of activity in the Nerve Center. I figured you and your sister were onto something.”

Manako was about to answer when Captain Enoka returned to the bridge as well.

“Whoever’s sending out that distress call isn’t Triple Alliance.” The Captain said. “Our operating procedures forbid sending out distress calls on the Galactic Front Line.”

“Precisely.” Manako added. “It could draw in the Beast. We need to find the source of the signal and shut it down!”

While the bridge crew moved to their action stations and began to strap down their safety lines, Manako spoke to the ceiling.

“Maka! Please tell me you’ve got some more information for us.”

“I do.” Maka’s voice was calm and monotone, which made everybody on the bridge feel a little calmer. “The distress signal is coming from the northern border of the Micore Empire and the Blorg Commonality. It’s in the Blorg code. Translating now:”

A male computerized voice began to speak through the intercom system.

“This is the Blorg Friendship _Invitation._ We are the lead vessel in the refugee convoy fleeing the planet Mirovandia. We are under attack by Infected warships! We have lost our escort and are unarmed! Please assist! We are carrying thousands of Blorg refugees! Someone HELP US!! PLEASE HELP US!!”

Maka had been doing some calculations while the recording played.

“I’ve determined that _Invitation _and the rest of the refugee fleet are less than five light-years from our current position. It will take us mere minutes to reach them via Short Jump. I detect fifteen ships in the convoy. They are all unarmed. Furthermore, I detect an infected Carrier Strike Group nearby. It appears to be a mixed force of Hiigaran, Blorg, Amadii, Vanian, and Triple Alliance ships. Some four-thousand-five-hundred vessels altogether.”

Captain Enoka stepped up onto the dais and addressed everybody on the bridge.

“We can’t afford to let this lie! The Beast will convert those refugees into Biomatter. We cannot, under any circumstances, allow this to happen!”

In the back of Manako’s mind, Maka’s thoughts drifted lazily through.

_He doesn’t have to sell this mission to me! I’ve had enough shakedown time! Let’s go kill the Beast!_

Manako puffed out his chest and said proudly:

“My sister is ready for a fight, sir! Let’s show the Beast what the upgraded _Mahuika _can do!”

While the Triple Alliance Flagship changed course to intercept the infected fleet, Enoka, Mira, and Manako all went to work. Captain Enoka put out a call for reinforcements. Mira transmitted a report on the mission to Triple Alliance Science Command, and Manako did a final inspection of the weapon’s control stations, making sure that his sister could override crew input during a real emergency.

This was it. The _Mahuika _was going into battle!


	3. Chapter 3

_March 8, 2028_

_Hijeroscant Star System, The Galactic Front Line, Blorg Commonality_

Travelling through Hyperspace was without a doubt, Maka’s favorite thing to do since becoming Unbound. The enormous entirety of the Universe whistled past her at incomprehensible speed, yet every exit point back to normal space was laid out neatly and plainly before her. The sound of reality itself racing by was oddly reminiscent of music. Almost like a familiar song heard from very far away.

Dropping out of Hyperspace was like doing a swan dive into a deep pool. The change in environment was jarring, yet not unpleasant. Maka was bathed in the warm light and gentle breeze of the blue Hijeroscant Star. All around her, nearly three thousand Triple Alliance warships rematerialized around the Mahuika. For Maka, the sensation of so many Hyperspace exits felt like she was being buffeted about by a warm wind. She understood completely why the Bentusi had chosen to forsake terrestrial life and become stellar nomads. This was wonderful, this was bliss!

It was with extreme reluctance that Maka finally took note of the Beast Fleet. Her sensor array picked out each individual ship and fed the targeting information to every relevant computer and subsystem within Maka’s body. Commands and orders radiated out and away from her as the Triple Alliance fleet began to deploy and move towards the convoy of refugee ships. The Beast recovered from the shock of a large enemy strike force appearing out of nowhere and had started to redeploy its own fleet.

Maka had seen infected ships before, but never in this way… never as an Unbound.

All told, there were some four hundred infected starships in the vicinity of the _Mahuika_. Each vessel was partially covered in a reddish-gray mass that looked like leathery hide. Under the right lighting, Maka could see exposed capillaries and nerves running through some infected ships, having taken the place of wires and cables. Life signs on each ship were all over the chart. Maka’s sensors picked up Hiigaran, Blorg, Taiidan, Partogan, Levakian, Assurian, and Amadii life signs on all of the infected ships, but the “crew compliment” readout said _zero _for each vessel. On the _Mahuika_’s sensors, infected ships registered as organic lifeforms, so Maka had to quickly create and deploy a macro command that would re-designate all Beast ships from “Wildlife” to “Hostile Warship” on her screens.

Against this backdrop, Maka saw the refugee convoy. A line of some twelve unarmed ships were barreling through the system towards a nearby Hyperspace Gate while the enemy gave chase. Three infected convoy ships brought up the rear. Before the Triple Alliance fleet could get into position, an infected Hiigaran Ramming Frigate fired up its afterburners and lunged towards the rearmost convoy ship!

An aura of commands and directives erupted from Maka and permeated across the fleet! Commanding the Triple Alliance armada came second-nature to her, it felt as simple and easy as visualizing what she wanted! At her word, a strike wing of Fighters and Corvettes peeled away from the main fleet and began to chase the enemy Ramming Frigate! With a little satisfaction, Maka watched as the enemy vessel was torn to ribbons by weapons fire!

She wasn’t, however, expecting the blood.

The Beast ship reacted to being attacked exactly like a wild animal would. Its thrusters fired aimlessly in all directions, as though in a panic. The infected ship broke off the attack and fled back towards the safety of its own fleet… which had a reaction of its own.

Up until now, the Beast had been focused solely on attacking the unarmed transports, but now that the Triple Alliance fleet had proven itself to be a threat, the infected fleet was turning their guns on the _Mahuika_ and her escort fleet! Thinking fast, Maka rearranged her ships into a defensive formation just before the assault began!

_All Triple Alliance ships, this is Fleet Command. Assume Wall Formation and standby to activate Defense Fields on my mark._

The huge armada reorganized itself quickly. Super Capital ships like Heavy Cruisers, Battleships, and Destroyers all formed a screen in front of the fleet, while fighters, Corvettes, and Frigates hung behind the wall, ready to dart out from behind the protective screen and strike.

Moving like an unorganized horde, the Beast fleet descended towards the Triple Alliance strike fleet! Maka waited and ordered her own ships to hold position and hold fire. They needed to wait and let the enemy get a little closer…

Fifty thousand Kios… Thirty… Twenty…

About ten seconds before the infected warships entered weapons range, Maka ordered her fleet to activate the most potent technology the Triple Alliance had to offer:

Semitransparent blue spheres began to fade into existence all over the Triple Alliance formation. Generated deep within the hulls of the Super Capital ship, nearly a thousand Defense Field bubbles overlapped with one another and enveloped the entire armada! Beast ships up and down the line opened fire with every weapon they had, and the battle began!

Maka watched with no small amount of satisfaction as millions of Mass Driver rounds were deflected away from her fleet by the Defense Fields. Energy Cannon rounds fizzled out harmlessly hundreds of Bios from their targets, and Ion Beams were scattered harmlessly in all directions. Missiles and torpedoes were unaffected by the Defense Fields and passed through with no trouble, only to be intercepted and destroyed by the point-defense systems of the Triple Alliance fleet.

_Defense Fields online. All ships, pick your targets and wait for Field failure._

Defense Fields were a relatively new technology. The power requirements for each generator was so immense that a field could only be maintained for a few seconds. Seven seconds on a good day, five on a bad one. But in the realm of space combat, being invulnerable to enemy fire for five to seven seconds could be a huge advantage.

Sure enough, just two seconds before the Defense Fields failed, about half of the infected warships suddenly ceased fire. Their weapons were either out of ammunition or overheated. Maka had allowed her enemy to waste their strength on an ineffective opening salvo. Now, it was her turn!

The Defense Field flickered and went out! Then, like an apex predator springing forth from its hiding place, the Triple Alliance fleet surged forward and loosed a volley of its own! Weapons of all types were fired and the infected fleet lit up as though it was caught in a lightning storm! Hundreds of Beast ships were cut to ribbons in the initial barrage, sending debris and mangled flesh in all directions!

The Beast fleet dove into the Triple Alliance formation with guns blazing! The two armadas powered into one another and chaos erupted within seconds! Mass Driver rounds flew in all directions, Ion Beams stabbed the void, and swirling clouds of wreckage and debris began to form, obscuring the view. Almost instantly, Maka found herself overwhelmed with combat data! Battle data from thousands of Triple Alliance ships came in at the same time, giving her information on the exact location of every ship, the disposition of their crews, and the status of their weapons! Enemy movement information rapidly clouded Maka’s vision, and the sounds of allied battle chatter battered Maka’s ears:

“Husi Squadron, report in!”

“I’ve got your wing! Target in sight!”

“Squadron achieving local space superiority! Hunt down and pursue stragglers!”

“Launching from Carrier now!”

“Power down to forty percent, sir!”

“It’s looking good here!”

“Sharp left, I’ll take the right.”

“Hey, you missed a spot on the left!”

“Hapaka wing under fire!”

“Turrets tracking, target engaged!”

“Check your aim- WATCH OUT!!”

“Target that explosion and fire!”

“Let’s run’em home!”

“ALERT! THE FLAGSHIP IS UNDER ATTACK! _MAHUIKA_ IS TAKING FIRE!”

That last message caused Maka to focus on something else… the sensation of pain. She felt a very real stinging sensation in her side; instinctively, Maka looked down at the part of her body where the pain was. But of course, Maka was now the _Mahuika_, so what she really did was re-align her own sensors to examine her hull.

An infected Ion Cannon Frigate had broken through the Flagship’s escort wing and was pouring fire into the _Mahuika_’s flank! To Maka, it felt like she was being stabbed with a white-hot needle! Instinctively, Maka moved to attack! The _Mahuika_’s mass drivers roared to life! Thousands of projectiles rocketed away into space before slamming into the offending frigate! The Beast ship spun away into the void, damaged far beyond the ability to fight.

Maka refocused herself. The initial shock of her first fight was wearing off, and now she was bringing all of her new abilities to bear! She wasn’t just the _Mahuika_’s CPU, she was _Fleet Command!_ Maka made full use of her new bio-circuitry and divided her attention. Processing trillions of packages of data per second, Maka interpreted sensor data, read the tactical situation, commanded ships, and kept track of her own ship/body at the same time! Multitasking like no one ever had before, Maka navigated the battlefield with the skill and finesse of a professional dancer!

Triple Alliance ships began cutting through the Beast! Infected warships were slain with merciless efficiency at Maka’s command. Her super-capital ships flew together in five-by-five X-shaped formations, cutting a swathe of destruction leading directly from the _Mahuika_ to the stricken refugee convoy! This was spectacular! This was going to be an easy victory!

A wonderful musical sound caught Maka’s attention. _A Hyperspace signature!_ Taking her attention off the battle for just a moment, Maka listened to a radio transmission coming from the new arrival. The message was distorted and garbled, but still understandable:

“At… tenshun, _Ma-hoo-ee-kah._ This is… the Leva-kyn warship _Asalele._ We have… arrived… with reinforcements from Partoga. Transmit your location… transmit to us… and we will come.” The voice spoke very slowly, and seemed to be distorted.

Before she could respond, Maka heard Manako’s voice in the back of her mind. Although from her perspective, it sounded more like he was standing next to her and talking in her ear.

_Maka, something was off about that transmission. Mira, Captain Enoka and I all think the Beast got the jump on our reinforcements. We think you should send a strike wing to the Levakians, just in case._

Maka tight-beamed a reply to the _Asalele._

“I’ve dispatched a strike wing of fighters to escort you in. Check your fire as they approach.”

The _Asalele’s_ response was quick and cryptic.

“They come… _Good!_”

At that moment, Maka’s attention was diverted elsewhere by a formation of allied fighters being outflanked by enemy ships. Turning her gaze away from the Hyperspace signatures, Maka saw a formation of three infected Super-Capital ships trying to force their way towards the _Mahuika_. The enemy was still several thousand Kios away, but catching this sort of flanking maneuver early was crucial! Maka redirected several dozen Triple Alliance ships to deal with the threat while she brought the _Mahuika_’s guns to bear! An infected Missile Destroyer loosed a barrage of fire! Nearly three dozen nuclear warheads thundered down onto a Partogan Zivon-Class Heavy Cruiser! Then an infected Hiigaran Carrier closed in for the kill, firing a bright red particle beam at the Zivon, her captain screaming loudly:

“IT’S COMING THROUGH THE HULL!! GET TO THE ESCAPE PODS!!”

Pulverized and battered, the Zivon fell out of formation! Then, after a few seconds, the now-infected Zivon turned its weapons against her own fleet! Confusion reigned in the Triple Alliance lines as the infection began spreading throughout their own ranks. Cruisers, Destroyers, Frigates, Corvettes and Fighters fell out of line before suddenly turning to attack their former comrades. Before three minutes had passed, a gaping hole in the Triple Alliance formation had appeared, and it was just as quickly filled with enemy ships!

_All ships, this is Fleet Command. Be advised: Our Vaccine is ineffective. Repeat: The Infection Vaccine is ineffective! Engage the Beast at maximum range, do not let them get close!_

All throughout the battlespace, Triple Alliance ships began to cluster together as their lines collapsed. Having recharged their generators, several dozen ships threw up Defense Fields again. The battle lines reformed around these sudden strongpoints as hundreds of small Triple Alliance ships regrouped near the safety of their bigger allies.

At the same time, the Beast fleet began to converge on the Triple Alliance’s weak point. Maka thrust the _Mahuika _forward towards the gap while commanding several of her own ships to do the same! She no longer saw the battle from the viewpoint of sensor screens and transmissions. Maka was the _Mahuika_! She was the one soaring through space, projecting firepower across hundreds of Kios and coordinating the movements of a fleet, not the ship. Maka felt each projectile and Ion Beam striking her hull and felt the stinging pinpricks of missile impacts. She was dazed by the brilliant flashes of nuclear explosions and comforted by the warm, soothing touch of a Support Frigate’s repair beams.

In the back of her mind, Maka heard something. Thinking faster and more complexly than any Partogan before, she quickly shuffled through billions of packages of combat data searching for that nagging feeling in the back of her head. Finally, after only two seconds of searching, she found what she was looking for. A combination of sensor data and ship-to-ship transmissions painted a terrifying picture:

Five Hapaka-class starfighters, arranged in an “X” formation, were flying up and away from the main battle. They were closing in on the spot where the _Asalele_ had emerged from Hyperspace.

“Kopen 2-1, this is Kopen 2-4. I have target in visual range. Do you see that hull damage on the ventral side? What happened there?”

“Yeah, 2-4, I see it. Looks like the _Asalele _took a couple of hits. I’m going to call in the Support Frigates and… hold on, I’m picking up an energy spike!”

“Infection beam! Evasive Maneuvers!”

“HELP!! IT’S GONNA TAKE ME!!”

The Infection Beam jumped from one ship to the next, blasting the entire squadron and sending all of the fighters spinning out of control! The _Asalele_, a carrier-class vessel, lumbered slowly through space like a predator watching its wounded prey. Now that it was within Maka’s sensor range, she could see the _Asalele_ was fully infected! The carrier’s hull was splattered with freshly-grown muscle and hide. Its voice slipped into the comm channels like a demonic whisper, bone-chilling and unnerving.

“Feed soon.” The _Asalele _growled.

All five of the fighters stopped tumbling through space. Thrusters firing intensely, the fighters reoriented themselves and charged downwards into the main battle. Maka watched in horror as the squadron target-locked the _Mahuika_ and began to open fire! The sensation of Mass Driver rounds hitting her dorsal spine was already unpleasant, but it was made even worse by the knowledge that those attacking ships had been built and launched by the _Mahuika_ just a few days ago! Maka was being attacked by her own people with her own weapons! It suddenly felt as though this fight had become personal.

Thrusting upwards from the plane of battle, Maka took the _Mahuika_ high above the battlespace and ordered the construction of an Ion Cannon Frigate in her hangar bay! Mass Drivers thundered away, spitting flame and metal into the dark void, scattering the now-infected fighter squadron. Cutting through her own fighters, Maka gave chase while the _Asalele_ fled! Flanked by Dreadnaughts on each side the _Mahuika_ rose above the smoke and flames of the battle below, ready to bring a terrible vengeance upon the _Asalele_.

But something was wrong. The _Mahuika_ wasn’t moving in the direction Maka wanted. No matter how hard she thrusted towards the _Asalele_, Maka felt herself drifting to one side… to the port. It felt a little like someone was pressing a stick into her side and forcing her to move. Maka looked down…

An infected Ramming Frigate was pressing hard into the _Mahuika’s _starboard flank. Afterburners sent a great red plume of exhaust pulsing away into space, and the whole Flagship lurched violently as the infected Hiigaran vessel forced her farther and farther off course.

Seeing the Beast ship latched to her side caused Maka’s skin to crawl. It was just like having a grotesque insect on her arm; and she swatted it just the same. The _Mahuika’s_ Mass Drivers turned and fired, dislodging the enemy ship and sending it tumbling helplessly into the void. Maka refocused her attention on the impact site, hoping to see a black mark on her armor and nothing else.

There was a red splotch… it looked almost like blood. Then came an uncomfortable sensation… Maka felt as though there was something _terrible _inside her body. The sounds became warped, her mind flickered… and then the pain began.

The Beast had found its way inside the _Mahuika_.


	4. Chapter 4

_March 8, 2028_

_Hijeroscant Star System, The Galactic Front Line, Blorg Commonality_

“Intruder alert on all decks! Communications failure! Intruder alert on all decks!”

Maka’s voice sounded distorted over the intercom system. Manako’s eyes watered as the lights began to flicker above him, plunging the _Mahuika’s_ bridge into darkness. Captain Enoka clutched at his own chest, an expression of terror dawning on his face.

“Captain!” A tactical officer yelled from the far side of the bridge. “The Beast is spreading out from the point of impact! It’s already starting to subvert our systems!”

“We’ve lost control of the drives and communications tower!” Another bridge officer reported! “Life support systems are being subverted!”

“How long until it gets to the bridge!?” Captain Enoka asked.

“Three minutes, maybe four!”

Enoka and Manako cast knowing glances at one another.

“We can’t let that thing take your sister!” Enoka said.

From above, Maka’s voice was strained and cracking, as though she was in horrific pain.

“I’m losing control here!” she gasped. “The Beast is locking me out of my own body!”

Captain Enoka pulled a command card out of his pocket and rammed it into a card reader.

“We are not going to be turned against our own people!” Enoka yelled. “Standby to begin the self-destruct sequence!”

“STOP!! BELAY THAT SCUTTLE ORDER!”

Mira Mihaka had pushed her way onto the dais. Maka fell silent.“We’re not done yet!” Mira said defiantly. “Only the starboard flank of the ship is infected right now. We can flood the infected decks with drive plasma and burn the Beast out!”

“Flood the ship with drive plasma!?” Captain Enoka repeated. “Are you insane!? You’ll kill everybody in that part of the ship!”

“Those people are already dead!” Mira countered. “They’re being subsumed by the Beast right now! Just shut up and listen! SILENCE ON THE BRIDGE!!”

Everybody held their tongues and muted their computers. For the first moment, all anybody could hear was the gentle hum of the _Mahuika’s_ life support systems, but then… Manako began to hear it.

From below, seeping through the floors and ventilation shafts… came the sound of screaming. Hundreds of Partogans, Levakians, and Assurians wailed and cried out in pain as the Beast dissolved their still-living bodies and reformed them into Bio-Circuitry. Men pounded on sealed blast doors, trying to escape from the Bio-mechanical virus. A woman shouted into an air vent:

“Let us out! The controls are locked up! We’re all dying down here! FOR THE LOVE OF MIRANDA!! LET US OUT!!”

Mira grabbed Captain Enoka by the shoulder.

“Seal off the bridge, nerve center, and life support systems. Flood the rest of the ship before the Beast turns us all!”

Captain Enoka hesitated, Maka screamed through the intercom:

“It’s taking over my connections! Do it now! I can’t hold on! I’m losing the ship!!”

That was all Manako needed to hear. He was spurred into action at once. Jumping down from the dais, Manako raced towards the nearest engineering terminal on the far side of the bridge. The whole time, Manako could only think about his sister. The telepathic bond between them had suddenly strengthened now that Maka was in genuine danger. He could feel Maka’s heart racing, and within seconds, Manako’s pulse had matched with hers. Behind him, Manako could hear Mira and Captain Enoka pressing the rest of the bridge crew into action.

“Seal the bridge, Nerve Center, and life support systems!” Captain Enoka yelled. “Close off the ventilation systems and pressurize the bridge. Don’t let that damn virus get in here!”

“Sir!” The tactical officer replied. “The Beast! It-i-it’s growing right through the bulkhead on Deck Five! It’s past the Quarantine!”

His hands flying over the controls, Manako spared a little concentration to contact his sister.

_Maka, can you hear me? We’ve almost got everything sealed off. We’re gonna flood the ship with drive plasma right now_

_Hurry! It hurts! I feel like I’m paralyzed_

“Let’s go already!” Manako shouted to the bridge! “We’re out of time!”

Across the way, Mira and Captain Enoka had joined a pair of engineers at a workstation. One of them, an Assurian male, withdrew a small key from his pocket, inserted it into a red slot and turned it. As he did so, the Assurian growled:

“This sort of tactic is usually a last resort against boarding parties, Mihaka. You do this and the Flagship will be burned out from the inside. We’ll be dead in space.”

“Burned out is preferable to subverted!” Mira countered. “Do it!”

“Standby.” The Assurian said. “It’s going to get hot in here. All critical uninfected systems are now sealed. Setting engines to flank speed. I can confirm that the plasma exhaust ports are now disconnected. Drive plasma will begin flooding the interior in three… two… one… here it comes!”

It was like being inside an oven or a furnace. Manako let go of the controls as his workstation became white hot! His arms, legs, face, chest, and back all began to sweat profusely as the temperature on the bridge skyrocketed! People around him screamed as the walls and floor became hot to the touch!

“Fire!” someone yelled!

Something inside the helm control station had spontaneously combusted! Open flames licked at the helmsman as he undid his smoking safety belt and scrambled away. Captain Enoka grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall but the metal was too hot to hold! He dropped it to the floor where the canister promptly ruptured! Spinning like a top, the fire extinguisher sent flame-retardant foam everywhere! Manako got blasted in the face with the stuff as his entire body was hosed down, but the pain didn’t subside! He still felt like he was burning to death!

Then Manako realized… he wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

In the Nerve Center, Maka screamed! Her chamber was smaller than the bridge! There was less space between her and the white-hot walls! Drive plasma flowed around her little island, sharing only its heat with her! Trapped in that confined space, with hundreds of electrical wires running into and out of her body, Maka was tortured by her own cybernetic implants as they began to overheat and burn out!

Maka’s agony became Manako’s! Both twins were paralyzed and burning! Around them, the _Mahuika_’s armor glowed red, radiating light and heat into the cold darkness! He screamed his sisters scream and fell to the floor! Mira caught him and held him tight to her chest as the final rush of drive plasma swirled around, above, and below the bridge!

At the last moment, a thought suddenly crossed Manako’s mind. It wasn’t really a mental word or image… but an impulse… _an instinct_

Manako reached up with one hand and grabbed Mira’s bare arm! His Psionic power of Psychometry only needed a millisecond to kick in, and Manako was suddenly plunged headlong into Mira’s memories. Within half-a-second of skin-to-skin contact, he relived Mira’s entire life:

_A girl born in the Royal Palace. Her mother is the Queen._

_The girl is forced to play “husband and wife” with a boy she doesn’t like while his greedy father looks on._

_Young Mira and her friend Haki steal candy from the royal kitchen together, giggling all the way._

_Queen Kendra the Second became sick and died while her daughter was still young._

_Mira couldn’t cope with the loss of her mother, and lost herself as far as possible into her own schoolwork, until…_

_A thirty-five year old Mira is summoned to the Royal Palace by her old friend Haki… a seven year mission is discussed._

_Sixty men and women depart Partoga on a quest for knowledge and answers, but are surrounded by secrets and lies._

_Aboard the Midak, Mira crosses a dead Galaxy. She sees firsthand the destruction this war will bring. Stellar graveyards, desolate worlds, personal tragedies._

_Some unknowable force reaches out across space and time, pulling Mira to another plane of existence. Monsters and heroes alike accost her. _

_Returning to the Midak, Mira finds a speck of hope in the shape of a lone Voyager._

_Mira arrives at the place where history will end, but answers beget questions._

_Secrets are revealed, Mira must hurry home! Along the way, she finds her Gift._

_War came to Partoga while Mira was gone. When she returned, she battled her way to that sacred ground where Queen Miranda the Great fought and vanished._

_A great cataclysm unfolds… its Mira’s fault. But the Paradox is there! She takes Mira into the past by aiming for the future!_

_It’s almost like a second chance! To put everything right… to fix history!_

_But the Paradox is ruthless. She will do whatever it takes to build the perfect future… even if that future must be built upon the burned and broken corpses of the past. It’s unacceptable._

_Mira breaks with the Paradox and flees!_

_Mira hitchhiked her way across the Galaxy, with one destination in mind._

_Arriving on a primitive world far away, Mira blends in with the locals and bides her time._

_Mira knows the history of this planet far in advance, and navigates the world with ease and stealth._

_Watching from atop a hill, Mira witnesses the birth of the one Human she has come all this way to find._

_Over the next decade, Mira slowly inserts herself into that Human’s life, eventually becoming a surrogate mother figure to them._

_One rainy day, Mira tracks down and observes her past self from a distance. The sighting confirms one of her theories about time travel._

_The Second Hyperspace War looms over the life of her adopted child, and Mira begins to make preparations for the day history will end…_

Manako let go of Mira! She shoved him away from her with both hands and he collapsed to the hot floor, gasping at Mira:

“Y-you! Who are-?” 

“That’s it!” Captain Enoka yelled above the loud rushing noise. “The ship is purged! Venting the plasma into space now!”

Maka gasped. Manako was overpowered by his shared consciousness and his attention was diverted to Maka’s Unbound eyes.

Six ports opened up all along the _Mahuika_’s hull and began to vent the white hot plasma. Millions upon millions of little hot spheres escaped from the Flagship and rocketed away into space, flying in every possible direction. Within moments, the _Mahuika_ was surrounded on all sides by a constellation of plasma droplets. Spinning and revolving like a little star system, the droplets cooled and congealed in seconds, losing their light and becoming as dark as the black sky behind them. The swirling pattern of heat and light began to vanish as the last of the plasma was ejected and cooled.

Maka and Manako were both overwhelmed by awe and pain. Simultaneously, they passed out.

And finally… the _Mahuika _was cold, dark, silent, and motionless.


	5. Chapter 5

_March 9, 2028_

_Hijeroscant Star System, The Galactic Front Line, Blorg Commonality_

“Good work with the Assurian Frigate, Salvager Four. You’re cleared to land in docking sleeve B-3.”

“Acknowledged, Command.”

“Salvager Fifteen, did you track down those suit beacons we picked up near the disabled Heavy Cruiser?”

“Yes, Command. Unfortunately, we only found one alive. Partogan Tech Sergeant Kahu Tamanui is being debriefed right now. We tagged the rest of his team for the burial ships.”

“Acknowledged. Salvager One, any progress on the Flagship?”

“Got good news and bad news for you, Command. Good news is that some of the crew is still alive. We rescued the bridge crew and a few others. We also recovered Fleet Command, sir. The bad news is that she’s in very rough shape and needs medical attention right away.”

“Understood. We’ll have medical teams standing by as soon as you dock.”

…

A Levakian Mothership broke formation with the rest of its fleet and departed the day-old battlefield. Escorted by a token force, the Mothership began to tow the wreck of the _Mahuika_ away from the scene. The rest of the Triple Alliance battle fleet turned around and began pushing deeper into Beast territory. For all of the rescued Triple Alliance crew aboard the Levakian vessel, the war was over for now. In the Mothership’s medical bay, the twins had only been awake for an hour or so.

Manako and Maka both felt terrible. While the medics had gone out of their way to treat the twins in two separate rooms, their telepathic connection allowed each twin to see and feel what was happening to the other. Therefore, Manako wasn’t surprised in the slightest when a doctor came into his room and explained the extent of Maka’s injuries.

“Your sister has suffered severe heatstroke.” The doctor began, “And has first and second degree burns along her head and arms, roughly ten percent of her body. All of the burns are concentrated along the points where her cybernetic implants were embedded into the skin. The implants themselves are damaged as well. The Psionic Amplifier embedded in her brain is nonfunctional, and at this juncture, I don’t think it will ever be possible for Miss Ranginui to interface with a starship again. I’m sorry.”

Manako didn’t answer right away. He was too busy consoling Maka. He had been listening through her ears when she’d been given the news just a few minutes earlier.

“Okay, thanks for telling me.”

The words felt hollow. He knew that Maka wouldn’t mourn the loss of her Amplifier. The Gift was something she naturally possessed. But losing her ability to interface with ships, that news had hit Maka harder than the death of a loved one. She had spent the past six years of her life working to make this technology happen, and during her short time spent merged with the _Mahuika_, she’d absolutely fallen in love with the experience.

If Maka could have her way, she would have remained part of the _Mahuika_ forever. It just wasn’t fair! Manako reached out to his sister’s mind:

_Hey, Maka. Are you okay?_

_Not really. My head feels like it’s gonna split open, and my implants still feel like they’re burning. _

_Was the transition alright? You know, from ship to you?_

_It was really hard. You know, I’m starting to understand why the Bentusi chose to self-destruct rather than be turned by the Beast. Getting “bound” …uh, I mean… getting cut off from my ship was one of the worst things I ever felt. It felt like I died._

_What do you mean?_

_It was like… like my eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin were all being torn away. Without the Mahuika’s sensors… I feel… blind and deaf… but my eyes and ears are working just fine. It really feels like I’ve lost something important._

_Maka, I’m so sorry you had to be pulled out of there, but I don’t know what I’d do if you died. I don’t want to know._

_Neither do I, bro. Losing you would probably kill me._

_Heh, let’s not test that, sis._

_Hey, bro. I’m not so sure about what happened right before we blacked out. Did one of us have, like, an insane hallucination right before I passed out?_

_No hallucination, sis. I touched Mira._

_Holy Mother of Miranda! So all that crazy shit was real!?_

_Yeah, it was. Mira’s a time-traveler._

_Past or future?_

_Couldn’t tell. She’s been to both._

_What the hell is she doing here then?_

_I think she wanted to warn us about something, or…someone… _

_Oh, no._

Both Maka and Manako jumped to the same conclusion at the same time.

They had both grown up watching those famous videos from the Battle of Aoraki. They had read about Queen Kendra the Great’s exploits during the Levakian Uprising. They knew about the Paradox, but the twins didn’t know everything.

_Impossible. The Paradox is dead. Grandmother killed her._

_Oh, man. Looks like we’re about to get our answer, bro._

While the twins were communing with each other, the door to Maka’s room opened, and Mira herself stepped inside cautiously. Ignoring the medical equipment around her, Maka jumped out of bed and stood upright! IV lines pulled out of her arms and flapped helplessly in a sudden wind as Psionic energy began building up in Maka’s body. She was spooling up a telepathic attack!

_Hang on, Maka! She’s not the Paradox!_

Maka didn’t listen; and Mira noticed her newfound hostility. She kept to the far side of the room and raised her hands slowly.

“Give me a chance.” Mira said cautiously. “I swear, I’m here to help you.”

“Like you were there to ‘help’ my Grandmother at Aoraki, Paradox!?” Maka snapped accusingly. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t shred you into atoms right now!”

Mira flinched at the word “Paradox.” Maka pointed her right index finger at the time traveler and sparks shot out of her fingertip, telegraphing an imminent Psionic assault!

“I’m enemies with the Paradox!” Mira said loudly! “I’m not with her!”

“Not with?”

Maka calmed down, dispersing the built-up energy throughout her body and releasing it as heat. Sweating, she kept her hand raised, but was no longer preparing to attack.

“What the hell’s going on?” Maka panted. “Who the hell are you? Where are you from? Why are you here? Where’s the real Mira Mihaka!?”

_Psst. Maka. It’ll help us all if you give her a chance to explain herself._

Keeping her hands up the whole time, Mira talked slowly.

“Your cousin, the ‘real Mira,’ is safe. She’s on Partoga.” Mira began. “I can’t explain time travel in a way that makes sense to you right now because your brother’s still trying to figure out what he saw in my head. He might figure it out by himself in the next few days anyway.”

“Keep talking.” Maka kept her finger aimed at Mira. The words spilled out quickly:

“My real name is Mira Mihaka. I swear! ‘Mira’ is just a really popular name in the Mihaka family. It gets used a lot. I’m from the past, but from your point of view, it’s the future. Like I said, this whole thing is confusing, I’ll explain in greater detail later. Right now, there’s something more important I need to tell you about.”

“And what’s that?”

“Where I’ve been and why I came looking for you and your brother.”

“Start with where you’ve been.”

“Earth.”

The answer was so unexpected that Maka lowered her hand to her side and Manako actually got out of bed and started pacing his room.

_Wait, does she mean that primitive backwater world the last of the Ethereals took over a decade ago?_

Maka repeated Manako’s question to Mira.

“Yes.” Mira said. “That Earth. I’ve been living there for the past few years. It’s going to become a very important planet soon.”

Both Maka and Manako burst out laughing.

“Earth!? _Important!?” _Manako roared. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“You must be mistaken.” Maka giggled. “That place is so behind, some of the people there still think their planet is flat!”

“The Humans are so backwards that they use balloons to go to space!” Manako added.

“They haven’t even broken their dependence on fossil fuels yet!” Maka finished off. “And you expect us to think that their planet is going to be important! You’re yanking my line!”

Mira did not enjoy the jokes, she remained serious the entire time. Once Manako and Maka had their laughs, she said:

“For the past thirteen years, the Humans have been developing a weapon that can destroy the Beast once and for all. I’ve seen that weapon during my travels across time, and I saw it again the last time I was on Earth just a few months ago. I can’t describe it properly here, there’s not enough time. Manako, you saw it when you looked in my head! What I need you need to know is that the weapon isn’t going to be ready for a very long time. But right now, the ADVENT Coalition is terrified that the weapon will be used against them, and are trying to hunt it down and destroy it. When the time comes, I need you both to join me on Earth and stop ADVENT from destroying our Galaxy’s last, best hope of survival.”

Maka and Manako both looked into Mira’s eye. For the first time, they saw how serious she was. Cautiously, Maka reached out telepathically. Mira knew what the Ranginui twin was doing and calmly allowed it to happen. Out of a mix of fear and respect, Maka didn’t probe around in Mira’s mind. She found was she was looking for and withdrew immediately. Then she contacted her brother.

_Manako… I think she’s telling the truth. Or at the very least, she thinks she is. _

_I’m sensing an “and.”_

_And… the Paradox is involved. Whatever Mira’s trying to do, she’s definitely working **against **the Paradox. Mira thinks the Paradox is going to be a bigger threat to this new superweapon than ADVENT is now. Mira really does need help._

_Can you imagine what Grandmother’s going to say when she finds out the Paradox is definitely still alive?_

_She’ll probably send the whole damn space fleet to fight her._

The twins held a very quick unspoken conversation with each other. Simultaneously, they came to an agreement. Maka took a few tentative steps towards Mira and extended her hand, not in a combative way, but in an offer of a handshake.

“Okay, Mira.” Maka said. “You’ve got our attention. We obviously can’t promise you anything right now, but you’ve convinced us to keep listening to you, at the very least. As far as I can tell, you’re being pretty truthful with us, and that goes a long way with mind-readers like me and my brother.”

Mira shook Maka’s hand firmly.

“That’s all I can ask you for now.” Mira said. “Right now, I have to go back to Earth. I can’t afford to be gone for too long. Hell, I’ve already been away long enough that I’m taking a real risk. I only came out here to warn you about the Paradox and give you the tip about Earth.”

_Wait? Why didn’t she tell us about Earth before we took the Mahuika into battle?_

Maka already had the same thought, and repeated the question to Mira.

“I’m a time traveler, remember?” Mira said. “I knew that both you and the Flagship were going to survive that fight, even if the _Mahuika_ did take a pounding. She’ll be back in action before too long, and _you,_ Maka…”

Mira pointed her finger at Maka with a knowing smile on her face.

“You’re going to prove these doctors wrong, Maka. Don’t give up your life’s work, okay? The fate of the entire Galaxy hinges on your Unbound technology surviving all the way to the final battle.”

When Mira started backing towards the door again, Maka and Manako spoke simultaneously!

“Wait! You didn’t tell us where we can find or contact you again!”

“Don’t worry!” Mira said with one foot out the door. “I’m staying on Earth for the long haul. I’ll send the _Mahuika_ a Hyperwave call when I’m ready for you to come help me, okay?”

Then, Mira was struck by a sudden thought. She pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket and scribbled something onto it with a pen.

“As much as I love planning ahead,” Mira said. “I have to cover all of my base. Keep ahold of this… just in case I don’t make contact from you. If you don’t hear from me…”

Mira pressed the paper into Maka’s hand and started backing towards the door.

“I’ll see you in eight years… I hope.”

As soon as Mira was gone, Maka and Manako telepathically asked each other:

_What the hell just happened!?_

Maka looked down at the note Mira had given her. It said:

_Maka,_

_If you do not hear from me before Naming Day in the year 520. Take the _Mahuika_ and go to Earth. Make sure to bring the ENTIRE Triple Alliance fleet with you and be ready for the biggest fight of your life._

_Mira _

Maka sat down on her bed again and said aloud:

“This is going to be a long war, isn’t it?”

Manako heard his sisters words and replied:

“Yeah. Long, chaotic, and complicated. Where do we even start?”

“I think I know.”

_Fort Miranda, Partoga-Levakia, Trecta Star System, Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth_

Queen Kendra the Great moved her wheelchair with the deftness and skill of a longtime veteran. It had been a decade since she had last walked on her own legs, but the 114-old Queen refused to let age get in the way of her purpose.

The Commonwealth was locked in the greatest war of its history.

Here in Fort Miranda’s war room, Kendra had a near constant stream of incoming data from the Galactic Front Line. She could see updates on the Multi-Fleet Inoculation, which would hopefully make the entire Triple Alliance armada immune to the Beast virus. She could also observe in real-time the longest battle of the war: The Siege of the Nanjim Star Cluster, where tens of thousands of Super-Capital ships were engaging in a bloody years-long showdown.

While Queen Kendra was pouring over a casualty list from Nanjim, an Admiral tapped her on the shoulder and said:

“Your Majesty, your Granddaughter is calling from Hijeroscant. She says it’s urgent.”

Working the touchscreen quickly, Kendra took the Hyperwave call. Makara’s face appeared onscreen and she waved hello.

“Are you okay, honey?” Kendra asked. “I thought you needed more time to recover from your ordeal.”

“Something more important is going on, Grandma.” Maka said. “I need to ask you an important question: Do you remember your battle with the Paradox?”

A shudder ran up the old Queen’s spine. She put her head in her hands and trembled. On the screen, Maka looked worried. Slowly, Queen Kendra looked above her hands and said;

“Granddaughter, you know I don’t want to talk about time travel. Merely discussing the topic and its implications… acknowledging its reality, can have lasting impacts on your destiny. I will not predestine your life… it belongs to you.”

Maka hung her head. She looked like she was ready to accept whatever scolding was coming. But when Kendra spoke next, the youngest Ranginui twin looked up at her Grandmother with a mixture of surprise and horror:

“That being said, Akira Jaqueline Robinson is the most dangerous enemy I ever faced. In the past century, I’ve never met anyone as intelligent or ruthless as her. Maka… Akira will not hesitate to kill you or your brother, or each and every member of the _Mahuika’s_ crew if it served her purposes.”

Maka’s mouth went dry as she asked:

“So, how did you defeat her at Aoraki!?”

“I didn’t.”

TO BE CONCLUDED


End file.
